Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Super-Cool People We Saw at McDonald's

McDonald's, in and of itself, is probably my least favorite place in the world. Even though I'm only semi-vegan right now, during my pregnancy, I still have a hard time finding anything worth eating there. Even the yogurt parfait tastes like a gelatinous mass with high fructose corn syrup added. And it's always dirty, with the sticky tables and the wadded up napkins on the floor and the noisy, screaming children in the play area, none of whom are ever mine, of course.

That being said, when my mother and I had charge of the twins alone, as all of the older children were traveling with Dad on their way to Washington, we sometimes became so desperate to entertain them, that we would take them to McDonald's just so they would have something to climb on that wasn't my mom's dining room table and wasn't a playground that was 107 degrees F in the southwest summer sun.

So we went and we stayed for two hours. To entertain ourselves, we looked for cool people and here is what we found...

The following is a group of ethnically diverse teenagers. The group caught our eye because my mother grew up in a time when children of a different skin color were forced to ride different buses and drink at different water fountains. We just loved that these kids were all together having such a good time...

My mother thought that perhaps I should ask to take their photo, but what was I going to say, "Excuse me, we really like the idea that there are blacks and whites and Latinos all eating here together and we would like to take your picture." I don't think that would have gone over too well. So, again, as with the Mennonites, I snapped a photo clandestine-style. Sorry so sinful.

The second totally cool person was THIS man in the window on the right...

He continually played and interacted with Twin B through the window and I thought he was so cool, that I dared my mother to take a picture of him. She agreed and when I asked her what she was going to say, she said that she was going to tell him that he reminded me of my dad, which he did, but much skinnier. When she received his permission and went to snap the shot, all of his construction-worker friends were laughing raucously, but he was a good sport...

One of the MOST cool people there had to be my mom, especially because she cares so much about what she looks like, even in McDonald's...

She totally had no idea I was taking her picture, even though I was sitting directly across the table from her. She is going to kill me for posting these.

And last, but not least of the cool people, the most adorable little twins who happen to have the same concentration expressions...

(I need you to know that I absolutely DID NOT purchase soda for the twins. Twin A is enthusiastically reaching for chlorinated tap water. I swear. It's water....)

My mother and I can always find the positive in any experience, even at McDonald's. Thanks for listening... :)

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10 comments:

I thought that looked like your dad, too. Even before I got to the part that said that's what your mom thought. And your mom is as beautiful as her daughter! Why are the kids and hubby going to DC? A friend of Mark's is going this weekend for a rally. As always, love you!!!

I'm not crazy about McD's either but we always take the kids when we go into the city-about once a month! At least our McD's is clean, thank the Lord for small miracles and wonders!

I love how you covertly snap such great photos! I've tried but I need more practice since they always come out blurry!?! Good luck with the kids while everyone's away and hopefully you'll have your sanity & hair when they get back! ;)

I love your positive people watching skills. I have seen other blogs where someone takes pictures of people candidly but make fun of them or talk trash about them....seriously some folks need to put strangers down to pick themselves up.

I like the "Super Cool People" in your title. I love the pic of the construction man...I could just hear his friends laughing--definately a good sport. I also love the pic of all the different kids together. Your mom is so sweet!

People watching is one of my very favorite hobbies!!! They can be ever so amusing, so nice, so-o-o humerous!!!! Of course, there are also the others. But honestly, I feel sorry for that type. It is a continual decision one must make whether or not to be happy, whether or not to look for the poitive in a situation. Whether to put a humorous slant on all that you can. Those that choose not to, miss so-o much!!!! A quick story from this past weekend - As I started leaving the bathroom after a meal, I noticed one of the pastors six year old sons standing by the cupcakes (which were on a table right near the bathroom door). I stopped and asked what he was doing {I had glanced around and noticed his parents were no longer in the room}. He was holding one cupcake which was only missing one bite ... but was he trying to get a second {There were several kids in attendance who didn't care if everyone got something, and their parents didn't watch them ...}? He looked up at me, started to say something, lookded down at his cupcake, sighed, and turned to walk away. Suddenly it struck me, there was not one single sprinkle left on his cupcake, and in the empty tupperware container he had been standing next to, a bunch of 'extra' sprinkles were gathered in this little pile .... I smiled while silently thanking the Lord for clueing me in. Then I said, " "J" come here." He came back with shoulders totally slumped. I asked him to hold his cupcake over one of the empty containers. I then picked up the other empty one and after banging it a bit on the bottom, deposited all of those 'extras' on half of his cupcake. When I told him to now hold it over the other container, he was literally beaming ear to ear while I did the same with the other empty container. He was thrilled beyond belief!!! And his smile made my day!!! Of course, I didn't get it on camera seeings how I was head cook and a camera around my neck is not a good idea in that situation. But sometimes I really aish I did!!!!! ;-p

There, now I am all caught up again :-} HOPEFULLY, I'll stay that way for awhile. It's time to go fix dinner. SOON I'll go to that other blog and read your interview ;-}

How fun! McDonald's isn't so bad. Yes,true about sticky tables and floors, but they have decent salads and it makes the kids happy. :) I always think eating there is a good way to boost our immune systems- ha ha!

i liked when you said you are "semi-vegan " . i 'am vegan , i shouldn't tell you this , but when anybody is looking i taste a piece of cheese . organic and made fron "happy cows " . still ....thank you for have droped by . it was very kind of you . best wishes ....!!!!

I hate McD's but a new one just opened up about 10 minutes from our home with an indoor play area so the kids always want to go there. We sometimes meet up with our playgroup there and I have to practically hold my nose, as the whole area smells like sweaty kids and stinky feet.

Love the pics you took....it's amazing what you notice when you people watch. We saw a guy who looks similar to that older man you took a pic of today at Lowe's. Cole screamed out, "Hey look, Santa Claus shops at Lowe's". It cracked me up....and the guy kinda did look like Santa with his big round belly and white hair and beard. We told him that Santa was shopping for some wood to build himself another sleigh. I have become such a quick thinker now that I have kids!!

Yes, I have 2 sets of twins...it's funny but only other moms of twins can truly appreciate what it must be like to have another set of twins. Some say "Oh, I'd love to have another set of twins" and others say "I'd have to be locked away in the psych ward if I had another set". I've kind of been in between both of those statements at times!!

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I'm a Mormon American, mostly vegetarian housewife raising 10 AWESOME kids, including twin toddlers and a newborn, in a tiny farm town in Mexico. I've reluctantly traveled the survivor road when my first husband, and first love, committed suicide in 2004, leaving me a widow with 6 children. Since then, however, I have found happiness, now that I'm remarried, to my soul mate, and about the smartest man on the planet. He totally supports me and reads my blog everyday, possibly because he knows that every night I'm going to ask him if he did. Follow us as I try to find humor and excitement in the everyday affairs of running a home!